Dusk.
The Emiya residence.
Her snow-white eyelashes trembled gently.
After sleeping through the entire day, Irisviel slowly opened her eyes, revealing those beautiful crimson irises once more.
"Leon? Al?"
As her vision came into focus, she turned her head toward the bedside.
Leon and Artoria, both wearing matching yukata-style sleepwear, were kneeling quietly beside her, watching over her with gentle smiles.
"Irisviel, how are you feeling now?" Artoria asked with concern, helping her sit up from the tatami before she could strain herself.
"I've made you both worry... gomen."
Irisviel forced a smile and tried to stand, wanting to reassure Leon and Artoria that she was fine.
However—
"Ah—!"
The moment she straightened up, her legs gave out beneath her.
Staggering forward, she collapsed directly into Leon's arms.
Leon caught her securely.
One arm wrapped around her slender waist while the other supported her soft thighs, keeping her from falling to the side.
Her legs folded helplessly beneath her in a seiza-like collapse, both hands resting weakly against Leon's chest as her cheek leaned lightly against him.
She had moved for only a few moments, yet her strength was already draining away at an alarming rate.
At this point, her physical condition was even worse than that of a newborn child.
"I'm so sorry…"
"Even after you implanted such an important Mystic Code into my body, Leon… I've still failed to live up to your expectations."
"I'm… still so weak…"
Tears welled up in Irisviel's crimson eyes.
Now that three Servants had already fallen, the day her body would completely collapse was drawing ever closer.
Had this been before…
When she had already accepted her fate, she would not have felt particularly sad or afraid.
At most, she would have regretted leaving behind the things she had yet to experience.
But now…
After Leon and Artoria had broken through the emotional wall she had built against her own heart…
She had regained her desire to live.
I don't want to die.
I truly... don't want to die.
She wanted to keep experiencing all the beautiful things she had never known before.
"I'm... so sorry…"
Her fingers desperately clutched Leon's clothes.
Even straining until her fingertips turned pale, she could barely wrinkle the fabric.
Leon gently took her hand.
Their fingers intertwined.
Still smiling softly, he leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
"How could you possibly be useless?"
He pulled Irisviel firmly into his embrace.
The slight pressure made her wince, reminding her that her body was still there.
"Isn't this body still holding on?"
"And Aegis Sigma has already suppressed the pain caused by your body's collapse."
"So there's nothing to worry about."
"If one day you lose your sight, then I'll become your eyes."
"If you lose your hearing, then I'll become the voice that reaches your heart."
"And if your legs become too weak to walk…"
"I'll become your legs."
"I'll take you everywhere you wish to go."
"Death is not the end of life."
"As long as you remember that…"
"You don't have to worry about anything."
"Leave everything to Al and me."
"Yes."
Artoria stepped forward and wrapped Irisviel in an embrace as well.
"Leave it to us, Irisviel."
At that moment, she and Leon looked almost like parents comforting their frightened child.
Even though Irisviel was the one who resembled a mother far more than either of them—
She was crying like a child.
"Yes!"
Gradually calming down, Irisviel lifted her head from between Leon and Artoria.
Her tear-streaked face blossomed into a heartfelt smile.
"I'll keep smiling…"
"I'll continue maintaining my human functions until the very end of this Holy Grail War."
"To me, simply being able to live without pain and move around normally like this…"
"Is already a miracle."
"Thank you…"
"Leon. Al."
She gently placed both hands over her chest.
Within her body, she could feel the Aegis Sigma and Avalon – The Everdistant Utopia working in perfect harmony.
Like yin and yang revolving around one another, they maintained an exquisite balance.
As a result, the only symptom she suffered was rapidly declining stamina.
In every other respect, her body functioned as though it were completely normal.
After resting for a while, Irisviel began slowly moving around on her own.
She wanted to become accustomed to the weakness in her limbs as quickly as possible, lest she collapse after taking only a few steps.
Artoria stayed close beside her the entire time, ready to catch her if she suddenly lost her strength again.
Watching the scene, Leon suddenly had an idea.
"If the only problem is that your body is weak and your stamina keeps draining away…"
"Then let's replenish it properly."
"Think of it like a phone with a nearly empty battery."
"As long as the battery itself still works, if you keep it plugged into a charger, it effectively stays fully powered."
"So we just need to keep you supplied with energy."
"Huh?"
"Would that actually work?"
Having never experienced anything like this before, Irisviel was momentarily speechless at Leon's surprisingly straightforward proposal.
"Whether it works or not, it's already dinner time."
"I'll go buy ingredients right now!"
The moment food was mentioned, Artoria's eyes sparkled.
Her enthusiasm rivaled preparing for battle.
Before Leon could even respond, she disappeared out the door in a blur.
Moments later, the car roared to life.
The parking brake dropped.
The accelerator went straight to the floor.
Leon and Irisviel exchanged helpless smiles.
That was so very Artoria.
While waiting for her return, the two of them headed to the kitchen and began washing the cookware they would need.
Not long afterward, Artoria returned carrying armfuls of shopping bags.
Chicken, duck, beef, fish, and every kind of protein imaginable were only the beginning.
Sea cucumber.
Abalone.
Bird's nest.
Ginseng.
Atractylodes.
Chinese yam.
Dong quai.
Donkey-hide gelatin.
Fo-ti.
Deer antler.
Eucommia bark.
Goji berries.
Practically every ingredient or medicinal herb traditionally believed to nourish vitality and replenish blood had found its way into her shopping bags.
Like someone proudly presenting treasure, she rushed into the kitchen and dumped everything onto the dining table.
Leon and Irisviel turned around from the sink and couldn't help laughing.
"That certainly has Al's style written all over it."
Irisviel covered her mouth with a smile.
"I think she just bought everything she wanted to eat."
Leon dried his hands and walked over to sort through the mountain of ingredients.
"Leon!"
"How can you say that about me?"
Artoria puffed up indignantly.
She triumphantly pulled several herbal recipes from her pocket and slapped them onto the table.
Lifting her chin with both hands on her hips, she declared proudly,
"Hmph! I didn't buy these at random!"
"Yes, yes."
Leon's perfunctory reply immediately made Artoria puff out her cheeks like an angry pufferfish.
Offended, she turned around and hugged the approaching Irisviel instead, seeking comfort.
Soon afterward—
The family of three cheerfully followed the prescriptions and prepared an extravagant medicinal feast designed to restore vitality.
The taste...
Left much to be desired.
The results, however, were remarkably satisfying.
After the meal—
The pallor on Irisviel's face visibly faded, replaced by a healthy rosy complexion.
Even knowing the improvement was only temporary...
Leon and Artoria still believed that everything they had done today had been worthwhile.
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